A Relaxing Memory
by Murdoc Hunter
Summary: Ashley and Murdoc Hunter enjoy a pleasant memory while watching daughter Emily and her friends playing Pokemon GO.


p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ashley Mizuki Robbins sat next to her boyfriend, Murdoc Edgar Hunter, on a wooden park bench looking out into the clear night sky. Taking the red towel from around her neck and setting it across her knee, she let her eyes gaze at the moon. "This...is different..." "Hmm? What's wrong?" Murdoc asked, turning from the sky to Ashley. He held a red licorice in his mouth and a bottle of water in his left hand. He also had a small blue towel around his neck. "Is jogging at night a problem for you? You sounded excited to join me, too..." Ashley rolled her eyes with a giggle. "No, you goofball. I was talking about us dating. It's not a strongembad/em/strong different. It's just...different..." Murdoc gave a worried stare to the gray haired female. "I...uh...I don't follow." Twisting the hairs from her bangs, she looked away nervously before turning back to Murdoc, blushing. "You're really gonna make me say it, aren't you...It's something I'm new at. I'm not really...experienced with dating...Hey! Are you laughing!?" Murdoc gave a lopsided grin to the flustered girl. "Hey. Would you believe it's new to me, too?" After a second thought, he sheepishly looked away, scratching his chin. "And…I'm really that oblivious?" "Yes, I believe you are quite oblivious. And no, this can't be something new to you." Ashley said with her own smug grin. Murdoc's jaw dropped. "Wait, what!?" Ashley began laughing at his change of facial expression. "Yep. There's no way you're new at this." "Yes, way!" Murdoc said with a cheesy grin before crossing his arms in faux anger. "I'm usually the guy ladies leave alone or make fun off, so I'm not used to them actually strongemliking/em/strong me. What? You thought I was some kind of chick magnet or something?" Ashley turned her head away, but her eyes stayed on his. "Well, kind of..." Murdoc laughed, lightly pulling his stubby beard. "On what grounds?" Keeping her head facing away, she changed her focus to the park's small fountain, it's flowing water shimmering in the moonlight. "Well for one, you're always so honest about yourself to yourself and others." A light blush spread across her cheeks. "We girls may not show it, but most of us do enjoy that, just an honest man. Way too many guys just want to impress you, show off what they think I want. Your attitude, it's a refreshing break from those who just act the part. It lets me-*cough* lets them feel comfortable around you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "...And?" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Ashley blinked in surprise and looked at Murdoc, who had a calm smile on his face as he looked directly in her eyes. "And what?" She asked, shyly turning her eyes away. "You said 'for one', right? That's implying there's more you want to say." Ashley clicked her tongue at his perceptiveness. Laughing, Murdoc shook his head. "So, what'd my loud mouth sis say THIS time? Cause there's no way you're getting personal information about me from Terry." Ashley frowned a little, but kept her gaze away from Murdoc, not wanting to show her already red cheeks. "I should've figured you'd know. And here I was hoping you wouldn't notice..." "Or maybe you're thinking too hard about it. Happens to me all the time." Ashley raised an eyebrow, but let Murdoc finish. "Besides, we're dating, right? So I'm not upset about you knowing or anything. I'm just curious as to what my diva of a sister said. Since she knows all about it, apparently. Wish she'd stop prying in my relationships and just be honest with Terry..." Ashley stood up and walked in front of him. "Unfortunately, Terry's just as stubborn as your sister. But that's just who she is." Murdoc smiled. "Yeah, she emis/em my sister…" Ashley nodded and continued to answer his question. "She said you never had a relationship last for more than a few months. Why?" "I really don't know." Ashley cocked her head to the side, never removing her eyes from his. "You don't know!? What kind of answer is that?" Matching her own calm composure, Murdoc leaned back on the bench, stretching his arms out behind it. "Honestly, you'd have to ask them. They broke up with me, so I was always the one wondering 'was it me' or 'what did or didn't I do', never getting the chance to really experience a real relationship, let alone a long-lasting one." Ashley's gaze softened a bit as she heard him speak. "So what you said about it being different in a good way, it...kinda relaxes me. Makes me feel like I've got a shot, a chance, you know?" Murdoc gave a small smile to her, watching to see what she might do or say, only to be surprised by what action she did take./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Ashley sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. Holding his hand tightly, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Glad you feel that way." Murdoc closed his eyes and gently held her against him. "Guess I've got a shot, then..." Ashley closed her eyes and quietly whispered in his ear. "You've got more than just a shot, Mr. Hunter..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"*************************************************************/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Heeey! Daddy! Mommy! Look, I caught a Bulbasaur!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The energetic voice of their daughter, Emily Hunter, interrupted the two from their nostalgic flashback. Ashley looked up at the night sky, the full moon staring down in a similar manner to that night. They were once again sitting in a park after one of their nighttime jogs. The difference was that she and her husband were now occupied playing Pokemon GO with Emily. "Really? That was my starter." She answered her bubbly child. Looking at her own phone to see what others were around, and sure enough, a Bulbasaur, along with a Geodude and a Pidgeotto were all sitting on a digital map. "Ugh, I want a Bulbasaur..." The slightly throaty, but very feminine voice of Aria Green was heard behind Murdoc, making him jump slightly. Laughing at the elder parent's reaction, Aria walked around the bench and leaned on the lamp post. Her protruding fang showing on her calm grin, she began swiping away on her iPhone. "That's my favorite and I'm stuck with these..." br /br / "You should really stop complaining. You're lucky Mrs. Caroline even let you out with the trouble you caused earlier at school!" The motherly, yet modulated and accusing tone of Jennifer Beckley rang out in the quiet night, which was quickly drowned out by Aria's laughing. Rolling her eyes, Jennifer walked to her obnoxious friend to see her Pokedex. "By the way, which ones are you finding out here...MACHAMP!?" Jennifer's unusual outburst made the others come rushing to the lamp post to see Aria's phone. "Aww, Machamp does appear for her! That's not fair..." Emily pouted. "Hmm. She has a few different Pokemon walking around her." Murdoc said, raising an eyebrow. Ashley flicked her finger across her phone. "That certainly is interesting. I found a Kabutops around here earlier, but Murdoc instead found a Jigglypuff, a Pokemon I've yet to see here...Yes! Got it!" Jennifer sat down on the bench, exhaling. "I hatched my Jigglypuff, as well as an Eevee." Emily sat next to her friend, smiling and swinging her legs while checking out her own Pokemon. "I still need Jolteon, but getting those candies are crazy tough." Aria, who was still leaning on the pole, put her phone away. "Ya' got that right! I'll never wanna evolving a Magikarp into a Gyarados again! 400 candies, sheesh..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Murdoc place his phone into its case and clapped his hands, quickly getting the 3 teen "Pokemon trainers" attention. "Alrighty, young ladies. It's almost 9, so it's time pass up the Poke Stops and get you two home. Especially you, Ms. Green. I promised Caroline not a minute after 9:30, and I keep my promises, so let's go!" After giggling at her obnoxious friend, Emily hopped off the bench and quickly walked with Jennifer to her parents, while Aria shuffling behind them with her hands casually behind her head. Ashley leaned in close to her husband's ear. "I didn't think our nightly jogs would include watching kids catching Pokemon." Murdoc chuckled before turning to face her. "Who would've thought, yeah? It's...different. Not a strongembad/em/strong different, of course. It's quite relaxing."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Ashley quietly laughed, taking his hand and holding it tightly. "Glad you feel that way."/p 


End file.
